Written Answers Friday 4 June 2010

Scottish Executive

Fisheries

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the status is of the document, A Strategic Framework for Inshore Fisheries in Scotland .

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what framework and procedures it is working to regarding the rollout of inshore fisheries groups around Scotland.

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is following the procedures for inshore fisheries groups outlined and agreed by stakeholders in A Strategic Framework for Inshore Fisheries in Scotland.

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Inshore Fisheries Advisory Group last met.

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the status is of the Scottish Inshore Fisheries Advisory Group.

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the next meeting of the Scottish Inshore Fisheries Advisory Group will take place.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Inshore Fisheries Advisory Group (SIFAG) was established in 1999 by the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation and the then Scottish Executive. Its role was to advise on the development of policy and legislation relating to sea fisheries in inshore waters. SIFAG last met in June 2009 and no date has yet been set for its next meeting.

  A Strategic Framework for Inshore Fisheries in Scotland was published by the then Scottish Executive in 2005, following a strategic review of inshore fisheries carried out by SIFAG which had begun in 2002. The document set out a strategic direction for inshore fisheries policy and announced proposals for a network of up to 12 inshore fisheries groups across Scotland.

  Six IFG pilots were established during 2009 covering the Outer Hebrides, Clyde, South East, Small Isles & Mull, North West and the Moray Firth areas. A review of early lessons and economic benefits is being carried out. A further roll out of IFGs will be considered in the light of the findings of the review, which are expected later this year.

  The existing IFGs are currently drafting management plans in line with the high level objectives contained in the Strategic Framework. Once these plans have been agreed by the IFG Executive Committees and Advisory Groups, Marine Scotland expects to consult SIFAG representatives to ensure that the plans are in line with national objectives and consider any issues which might have an effect outwith the area of the local plan.

Fisheries

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to bring forward for general consultation the application to amend the Scottish farmed salmon Protected Geographic Indicator criteria, as announced by the Minister for Environment on 10 March 2010.

Richard Lochhead: I understand that the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation has decided that at this time they no longer wish to pursue an amendment to the Scottish Farmed Salmon PGI specification.

Health

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute occupied bed days in NHS Tayside were directly connected to a diagnosis of assault by sharp object in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Nicola Sturgeon: The number of occupied bed days in NHS Tayside where a diagnosis of "assault by sharp object" is recorded is presented in the following table.

  Number of Acute Occupied Bed Days1,2 in NHS Tayside Connected with an Assault by Sharp Object3, Patient Discharged during Year Ending 31 March 2005-09

  

Financial Years
Total Number of Bed Days4


2004-05
189


2005-06
91


2006-07
50


2007-08
163


2008-09
96



  Source: ISD Scotland, SMR01.

  Notes:

  1. Hospital admission data are derived from linked records on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland.

  2. Bed days are calculated using the length of stay variable.

  3. Assault by sharp object connected incidents are defined as ICD-10 code X99 in any secondary diagnosis positions.

  4. The number of bed days can be influenced by the severity of the injury received and hence total bed day figures do not necessarily reflect the underlying number of admissions.

  For information; the numbers of admissions connected to assault by a sharp object in NHS Tayside was provided in the answer to question S3W-32124 on 15 March 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  Additional data and commentary on assault by a sharp object is published as part of ISD’s Unintentional Injuries publication http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5327.html.

Health

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost to the economy was of days lost to work due to the fraudulent use of sick or fit notes in each of the last three years.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally. The management of sickness absence across the public and private sectors is a matter for individual public bodies, private companies and other employers.

Health

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any advertising of services to provide individuals with fake documents that resemble NHS fit notes and what steps it is taking to investigate and take action against anyone offering such notes for a fee.

Nicola Sturgeon: We are aware of a number of websites that are selling fake fit notes. This is not illegal. It only becomes illegal when someone receives a payment or advantage, for instance paid time off work, through use of a fake fit note.

  Fraud against the NHS is taken very seriously and anyone caught using fraudulent documents will be pursued vigorously.

Health

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure the integrity of NHSScotland fit notes and prevent the use of fake fit notes.

Nicola Sturgeon: Fraud against the NHS is taken very seriously and anyone caught using fraudulent documents will be pursued vigorously.

  The Med 3 medical certificate, commonly known as the fit note, is a document produced by the Department for Work and Pensions for the purposes of statutory sick pay. The Med 3 certificate has no other statutory purpose, but is commonly used by doctors as a means of giving advice to their patients. Addressing fraudulent production of Med 3 certificates is an issue for the Department of Work and Pensions and is a matter reserved to the UK Government.

  NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services will investigate any cases concerning the recently introduced fit notes where NHS staff are identified as attempting to use or have used, fake fit notes or genuine fit notes which have been altered. Where fake sick notes are identified, there will be liaison with the Department of Work and Pensions whose role will be to investigate the supplier of the fake fit notes.

Health

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider placing a security mark on all NHSScotland official papers relating to employees’ sick leave in order to combat fraud.

Nicola Sturgeon: Fraud against the NHS is taken very seriously and anyone caught using fraudulent documents will be pursued vigorously.

  All data relating to periods of sickness absence in NHSScotland is held in a secure national database; reports from this database cannot identify individuals. At a local level within Boards any documents relating to individual members of staff are held securely in line with both national and local data protection policies. Any breach of these policies is dealt with under agreed disciplinary procedures.

  Where sickness absence fraud is suspected boards would liaise with their local Counter Fraud Services contact.

Health

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute occupied bed days in NHS Grampian were directly connected to a diagnosis of assault by sharp object in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Nicola Sturgeon: The number of occupied bed days in NHS Grampian where a diagnosis of "assault by sharp object" is recorded is presented in the following table.

  Number of Acute Occupied Bed Days1,2 in NHS Grampian Connected with an Assault by Sharp Object3, Patient Discharged during Year Ending 31 March 2005-09

  

Financial Years
Total Number of Bed Days4


2004-05
64


2005-06
153


2006-07
98


2007-08
70


2008-09
149



  Source: ISD Scotland, SMR01.

  Notes:

  1. Hospital admission data are derived from linked records on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland.

  2. Bed days are calculated using the length of stay variable.

  3. Assault by sharp object connected incidents are defined as ICD-10 code X99 in any secondary diagnosis positions.

  4. The number of bed days can be influenced by the severity of the injury received and hence total bed day figures do not necessarily reflect the underlying number of admissions.

  For information; the numbers of admissions connected to assault by a sharp object in NHS Grampian was provided in the answer to question S3W-32124 on 15 March 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  Additional data and commentary on assault by a sharp object is published as part of ISD’s Unintentional Injuries publication http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5327.html.

Housing

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many evictions by social landlords have taken place in each local authority area in each year since 2006.

Alex Neil: The number of eviction actions against council house tenants is published annually by local authority area on the Scottish Government website.

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/Evictions.

  The Scottish Housing Regulator publish the number of eviction actions against registered social landlords tenants annually by local authority area.

  http://www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/shr_statisticstables2008-09.hcsp#TopOfPage.

  These figures are collected and published for financial years only.

Planning

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent planning authorities are bound by the recommendations arising from examination reports on strategic development plans and local development plans as set out in Planning Circular 1 2009: Development Planning .

Stewart Stevenson: The process differs for strategic development plans (SDPs) and local development plans (LDPs), given Scottish Ministers’ statutory role in approving SDPs.

  Once they have received the examination report on a proposed SDP, section 13 of the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 allows Scottish Ministers to approve or reject the plan, taking into account the recommendations made by the reporter(s). Ministers may make modifications in approving the plan, and if so will set out reasons for these.

  Examination reports on proposed LDPs are largely binding on planning authorities. Regulation 2 of the Town and Country Planning (Grounds for declining to follow recommendations) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 states that authorities may only depart from recommendations that:

  (a) would have the effect of making the LDP inconsistent with the National Planning Framework, or with any SDP or national park plan for the same area;

  (b) are incompatible with Part IVA of the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) Regulations 1994, or

  (c) are based on conclusions that could not reasonably have been reached based on the evidence considered at the examination.

  Section 19(11) of the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 also allows authorities to environmentally assess the plan following modification in response to recommendations, and to not make modifications that are not acceptable having regard to that assessment.

Planning

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reconsider the decision of its reporter to grant consent for an incineration plant at Invergordon.

John Swinney: This appeal was determined by a reporter appointed by Scottish Ministers. The decision is final subject to the right of any aggrieved party to appeal to the Court of Session within six weeks of the decision notice. This means that neither the reporter nor Scottish Ministers can comment on the merits of the proposed development or further consider this decision.

Public Appointments

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the expected Barnett consequentials will be following the recent appointment of the Victims Commissioner for England and Wales.

John Swinney: There are no Barnett consequentials due to Scotland as a result of the appointment of the Victims Commissioner for England and Wales on 30 March 2010.